Examining the Impact of Campus Green Spaces on Student Burnout and Well-Being

Publication Date

12-8-2024

Presentation Length

Poster/Gallery presentation

College

College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

Department

Public Health, Department of

Student Level

Undergraduate

SPARK Category

Scholarship

Faculty Advisor

christian.williams@belmont.edu and frecia.gonzalez

WELL Core Type

Environmental Wellness

Metadata/Fulltext

Metadata ONLY

SPARK Session

10:15-11:45

Presentation Type

Gallery

Summary

Introduction:

Studies indicate that 55.16% of college students experience some level of burnout (Liu et al., 2023). This increasing prevalence of high levels of is linked to increased burnout and low academic performance. Historically, the natural environment has been found to have a restorative effect on people, decreasing stress levels and psychological pressures (Payne et al., 2020). Revitalizing campus greenspace provides opportunities to impact undergraduate university students’ well-being and mediate psychological distress (Meredith et al.,2020). A 2024 cross-sectional study analyzed the relationship between the satisfaction of greenspaces on Belmont’s campus and levels of academic burnout among Belmont undergraduate students.

Methodology:

A mixed methods survey was distributed to undergraduate students via Qualtrics using simple random sampling techniques. The survey utilized a combination of open-ended questions and previously validated surveys, the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) and a greenspace satisfaction survey (Liu et al., 2023). A sample of 33 college students representing nine different academic colleges completed the survey.

Results:

Results indicated that Belmont students experience moderate levels of burnout based on the determined index score from the MBI-SS with a mean score of 68.42. Fifty-one percent of participants responded with high satisfaction with the green space offered on campus, yet preference for nearby parks for outdoor space was high, signifying that Belmont can make improvements to increase green space use. Students reported that they often feel “rejuvenated” and “refreshed” after time outside and that overall stress levels decrease.

Discussion:

Prioritizing campus greenspace may be an effective way to assist college students to improve their cognitive functioning, mental health, and sense of well-being. Previous research supports that creating havens of natural environments on campus and providing more tables, chairs, and social spaces on campus has positive effects on student engagement and academic performance. Results from this study identify gaps in the campus-built environment at Belmont and encourage future research to promote greater greenspace engagement as a protective factor to prevent burnout.

References:

Liu, Z., Xie, Y., Sun, Z., Liu, D., Yin, H., & Shi, L. (2023). Factors associated with academic burnout and its prevalence among university students: a cross-sectional study. BMC Medical Education, 23(1), 317–317. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04316-y

Meredith, G. R., Rakow, D. A., Eldermire, E. R. B., Madsen, C. G., Shelley, S. P., & Sachs, N. A. (2020). Minimum Time Dose in Nature to Positively Impact the Mental Health of College-Aged Students, and How to Measure It: A Scoping Review. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2942–2942. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02942

Payne, E. A., Loi, N. M., & Thorsteinsson, E. B. (2020). The Restorative Effect of the Natural Environment on University Students’ Psychological Health. Journal of Environmental and Public Health., 2020. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4210285

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS